the Business Forum and
the Economic Partnership
in Brighton & Hove
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Brighton & Hove Business Forum
8-11 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, BN1 1EE
Tel: 01273 735442
Email: info@brighton
business.co.uk

© Brighton & Hove
Business Forum

Welcome
This is the official web site of the Business Forum and the Economic Partnership in Brighton & Hove

The Business Forum is the city centre management initiative for Brighton & Hove but its projects extend outside the strict geographical boundaries of the city centre and include Hove town centre management. It is supported by seven core business funders and the local authority.

Projects range from the Brighton & Hove Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) [with nearly 400 members operating in both the day-time and night-time economy] to the organisation of markets and events across the city. The Business Forum also established Brighton's first Business Improvement District (BID) [and only the second in the south-east] and provides project management and administration to the BID. The Brighton BID will generate about £1m to provide additional services to businesses in the BID area.

The Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership (BHEP) is funded by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and works with other stakeholders to devise the economic strategy for the city. It works with other Economic Partnerships across the south-east to input into the economic strategy for the region.

Details of key project areas for the BHBF and BHEP are shown on the left hand side of this Homepage and latest news is shown on the right hand side. All documents and stories are archived in the Knowledge Base which can be searched by subject or keyword.

The site also lists contact details of the partners (other Brighton & Hove business associations) that we work with and has a number of links to other useful sites.

Latest news
3 September 2010 - News
Double dip recession watch: house prices fall for second month
According to the latest figures from the Nationwide Building Society, last month house prices fell by 0.9%; prices also fell in July by 0.5% Read more...
3 September 2010 - News
Whitehall gives localities freedom to scrap or create local byelaws
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has outlined plans to give councils a new power to review and revoke outdated byelaws without first having to ask central government for permission. Read more...
3 September 2010 - News
Brighton & Hove throws its hat in the ring with West Sussex to form a Local Enterprise Partnership [LEP]
West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, the Borough of Croydon and the Gatwick Diamond area have submitted an Expression of Interest [EoI] to government outlining how a LEP could influence the fortunes of an area with 1.7m residents. Read more...
3 September 2010 - News
Alcohol sales decline markedly
According to the British Beer and Pub Association [BBPA], last year the recession and other factors led to the sharpest year-on-year fall in alcohol consumption in the UK for over 60 years. Read more...
2 September 2010 - News
City College seeks successful ex-students for new Gold Award
City College Brighton and Hove is seeking ex-students who have gone on to find success in their chosen fields in order to compile a short-list for a City College Gold Award for those who have become outstanding role models for vocational education. Read more...
1 September 2010 - News
Wired Sussex joins Onedigital alliance
Brighton-based Wired Sussex has accepted an invitation to join the digital media alliance Onedigital as its fourth principal member together with Manchester Digital, Bristol Media and London's D-Media. Read more...
1 September 2010 - News
New halls of residence for Brighton University
Brighton & Hove planning committee has granted planning permission for the demolition of the existing 270-bed Varley Halls in Coldean to make way for a £30m development that will more than double the number of bedrooms Read more...
30 August 2010 - News
Double dip recession watch: GDP growth stronger than expected
In the light of new government growth figures, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has upgraded its forecast for the UK's short term economic prospects but has warned that interest rates must be kept close to historic lows to ensure the recovery. Read more...
27 August 2010 - News
Is your bank treating you fairly?
A not-for-profit small business support group is urging firms to take part in a new survey to highlight their experiences of dealing with banks. Read more...
27 August 2010 - News
New figures show carrier bag use is down
Supermarkets and their customers have reduced the number of 'single-use' carrier bags being handed out for the fourth year in a row. Since independent monitoring began in 2006, the number handed out in the UK each year has been cut by 4.6 billion. Read more...
26 August 2010 - News
Bank Holiday Monday demonstrations: statement from Sussex Police
The English United March on Monday has been organised by the English Nationalist Alliance (ENA), which is a non-political group independent of the English Defence League. Read more...
26 August 2010 - News
Astoria Cinema redevelopment plans
Mike Holland - the owner of the Astoria in Gloucester Place - has commissioned architects Conran & Partners to work on plans to demolish the former cinema and build much-needed Grade A office accommodation. Read more...
25 August 2010 - News
Summer visitor boost for Brighton & Hove
Brighton & Hove is enjoying a busy summer as more and more people rediscover the joys of the British seaside and decide to stay close to home for their holidays. Read more...
24 August 2010 - News
Disability employment workshop
With the upcoming changes to equality legislation, as well as changes to the criteria for employment support allowance [ESA], it is clear that employment opportunities for disabled people is becoming a hot topic. A workshop to be held in November could prove useful for employers and disabled people. Read more...
24 August 2010 - News
Pubs and bars must offer drink in smaller glasses
From October 1st venues serving alcohol must offer customers the choice of a small [125ml] wine glass as well as the more usual 175ml and 250ml sizes. Read more...
23 August 2010 - News
Affordable housing scheme in Brighton granted planning permission after 5 Years
The proposals, which provide for 39 affordable flats on the former Cover's Yard site on the Lewes Road was finally granted planning permission after three planning applications, two public inquiries and significant design changes. It is one of the first tall buildings in the centre of Brighton & Hove to be successful at appeal. Read more...
20 August 2010 - News
Big issue made simple
Official Big Issue sellers in Brighton & Hove will soon be much easier to locate and identify following the introduction of branded pitches and uniforms. Read more...
20 August 2010 - News
A Council the City Deserves - Phase 2 Consultation
In June 2010 Brighton & Hove City Council published a summary of the first stage of consultation for "A Council the City Deserves". Consultation on Phase 2 will finish on 31 August, and stakeholders are invited to have their say on issues affecting neighbourhoods as part of the Strengthening Communities Review. Read more...
20 August 2010 - News
Mural - a legacy to great partnership working
Southern Water has now completed a three year project in Brighton. This work entailed a major overhaul of the city's antiquated Victorian pipes and cost £15.5 milion. Read more...
20 August 2010 - News
Government publishes business growth strategy
The department for Business, Innovation & Skills [BIS] has published a strategy for achieving a more balanced and sustainable [economically and environmentally] model of growth for the UK. Read more...
19 August 2010 - News
Double dip recession watch: July retail sales surprisingly strong.
Analysts predicting a rise of just 0.4% were surprised by the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing a 1.1% increase compared with June - the highest month-to-month increase since February. Read more...
19 August 2010 - News
PM pledges to support UK tourism in all its guises
At a speech in London today, Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to support the UK's third largest export earner - Tourism. This is an important sector for Brighton & Hove supporting 15,000 jobs and bringing in £500m to the local economy. Read more...
17 August 2010 - News
Only 40 new homes predicted for the city in 2010
The city council is predicting that only 40 new homes will be built in the city in 2010. Over the past decade the average rate of house building has been about 525 homes per annum. Read more...
16 August 2010 - News
Brighton no longer UK's most cost-effective student city
NatWest has published its seventh Student Living Index - an annual study, examining how cost-effective the UK's major university cities and towns are for students, based on spending habits, and how students offset these costs. Brighton has slipped 18 places. Read more...
13 August 2010 - News
Prime Minister backs cheap alcohol ban; Alcohol Concern suggests 150% price increase; Brighton opts for "Save Dave" campaign
The Prime Minister said he would look sympathetically at local initiatives to tackle "deep discounting" of booze which can deliver a unit of alcohol for as little as 20p. Meanwhile Alcohol Concern claims a 150% price rise would solve a lot of drink related problems. Read more...
13 August 2010 - News
Government scraps the national Place Survey. That's a pity.
Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has scrapped the Place Survey, one of the largest surveys in Europe that conducted by local authorities to find out what residents think about where they live, saying that it is part of the new Government's drive to release councils from Whitehall control. The decision underestimates its value. Read more...
13 August 2010 - News
Credit card fraud - a minefield for the uninitiated
Insufficient security checks and the complexity involved in taking online payments are just two factors leaving small firms exposed to payment processing fraud, the Forum of Private Business is warning. Read more...
13 August 2010 - News
Retail sales up but non-food is struggling
According to the latest figures from the British Retail consortium (BRC) UK retail sales values rose 0.5% on a like-for-like basis from July 2009, when sales had increased 1.8%. On a total basis, sales were up 2.6% against a 3.6% increase in July 2009. Read more...
12 August 2010 - News
Construction firms urged to take on apprentices
City College Brighton and Hove is urging local construction firms to take on apprentices. There is a shortage of employers in this sector participating in the apprenticeship framework. Read more...
12 August 2010 - News
New City Employment & Skills Plan to be produced
Brighton & Hove City Council's Economic Development department has commissioned Step Ahead Research to undertake an assessment of worklessness in the city and to develop a new City Employment and Skills Plan [CESP] covering the period up to 2014. It will build on the groundbreaking original which covered the period from 2008 to 2010. Read more...
 


Browse our business Knowledgebase or search by keyword


Headlines

3 September 2010
Double dip recession watch: house prices fall for second month
3 September 2010
Whitehall gives localities freedom to scrap or create local byelaws 3 September 2010
Brighton & Hove throws its hat in the ring with West Sussex to form a Local Enterprise Partnership [LEP] 3 September 2010
Alcohol sales decline markedly 2 September 2010
City College seeks successful ex-students for new Gold Award 1 September 2010
Wired Sussex joins Onedigital alliance 1 September 2010
New halls of residence for Brighton University 30 August 2010
Double dip recession watch: GDP growth stronger than expected 27 August 2010
Is your bank treating you fairly? 27 August 2010
New figures show carrier bag use is down 26 August 2010
Bank Holiday Monday demonstrations: statement from Sussex Police 26 August 2010
Astoria Cinema redevelopment plans 25 August 2010
Summer visitor boost for Brighton & Hove 24 August 2010
Disability employment workshop 24 August 2010
Pubs and bars must offer drink in smaller glasses 23 August 2010
Affordable housing scheme in Brighton granted planning permission after 5 Years 20 August 2010
Big issue made simple 20 August 2010
A Council the City Deserves - Phase 2 Consultation 20 August 2010
Mural - a legacy to great partnership working 20 August 2010
Government publishes business growth strategy 19 August 2010
Double dip recession watch: July retail sales surprisingly strong. 19 August 2010
PM pledges to support UK tourism in all its guises 17 August 2010
Only 40 new homes predicted for the city in 2010 16 August 2010
Brighton no longer UK's most cost-effective student city 13 August 2010
Prime Minister backs cheap alcohol ban; Alcohol Concern suggests 150% price increase; Brighton opts for "Save Dave" campaign 13 August 2010
Government scraps the national Place Survey. That's a pity. 13 August 2010
Credit card fraud - a minefield for the uninitiated 13 August 2010
Retail sales up but non-food is struggling 12 August 2010
Construction firms urged to take on apprentices 12 August 2010
New City Employment & Skills Plan to be produced 12 August 2010
CEO leaves the Theatre Royal 12 August 2010
Double dip recession watch: Markets take fright over economic data 12 August 2010
Shoreham Harbour eco-town plan gets a reprieve 11 August 2010
Top Five Stories in July 2010 11 August 2010
What is the value of the night-time economy? 11 August 2010
Brighton & Hove gets younger, Sussex gets older 10 August 2010
Do you have a site that you want to develop for housing? 10 August 2010
Could New Homes Bonus pay for the Brighton Centre? 10 August 2010
New network launched in Brighton 10 August 2010
LEP advice from CLES